Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Product Description:
Our spiciest chai, with plenty of Pepper, Ginger and Cardamom. Add milk and sugar to taste. Ingredients: Black tea, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Tellicherry Peppercorns, Ginger and Cloves.
Taster’s Review:
This chai is AWESOME!
As most of you probably know (because I’ve said it enough!) I am very discriminating when it comes to chai – because I truly believe that I created the best chai blend ever. However, that doesn’t mean that I cannot appreciate other chai blends, and this is definitely one for which I have tremendous appreciation!
It is SPICY! The pepper and ginger are prominent, and I can actually feel it hit my throat in the finish – like a spicy, peppery blanket that warms my palate, then radiates down my throat and warms my entire body right down to the tips of my toes!
In fact, after my initial sip, I had to check the MarketSpice website to see if this chai had chili pepper in it, because the heat from the pepper is that kind of heat. The website does not indicate that there is chili pepper of any kind in this – so I suspect that it is the rather fine grind of black Tellicherry peppercorns that brings the heat, as well as the ginger.
But, while the heat from these two ingredients is rather dominant, they do not overwhelm the palate so much that the other ingredients – cinnamon, cardamom and cloves – cannot be tasted. The flavor of the black tea is even quite present in the sip – it is rich and bold and offers a tasty base for these zesty spices.
I really like this chai. I have tried it several times now. The first time I tasted it, I drank it with no additions, the second time, with just a drizzle of honey. I found that the honey brought out some of the other spices very nicely and softened the edge from the tea, ginger and pepper just a little. For an extra special treat, try it with brown sugar – the molasses in the brown sugar will be delightful with this spicy chai!
The third time, I broke down and made myself a chai latte by steeping the tea extra strong (using a little extra leaf and a little less water) and adding honey and some warmed 2% milk and frothing it.
When served as a latte – the spices present themselves a little differently. It is still spicy, but the creaminess of the latte softens the spices and creates a warm, comforting cup that puts the coffee house chai lattes to shame! The chai latte was absolutely delightful and my favorite way of serving this, although I quite enjoyed the other preparations as well.
An excellent chai – perfect for those who like their chai on the spicy side!
I just came across your blog about our tea and I am SO happy to see that you love it! Keeping enjoying 🙂